Klaine: Five Years Later
by functionaloptimist
Summary: Five years after Original Song... Kurt and Blaine's five year anniversary in New York!


_**Okay, guys, get out the dental floss. ;) When you're proposing you're **_**supposed**_** to be overly sweet, right? RIGHT? I say yes. My brain was basically like WRITE ALLLLLLL THE FLUFF, and I just had to obey.**_

_**How did everyone like "Pot O' Gold" last Tuesday? Last Friday Night was like a little slice of Blaine (and Klaine) heaven, right? So much fun! Leave it to sweet Blaine to try to cheer everyone up and remind us all that Glee is really about opening yourself up to joy.**_

_**Thank you all so much for your comments regarding my Klaine: The Extended Edition story! I am truly overwhelmed at the positive response. The day after the season 3 finale airs in the spring, expect a chapter/episode of season 3 every day (at a consistent time of day this time, yay!) for the subsequent 20-something days!**_

_**Here's a little future!Klaine in New York... sticking with what Ryan Murphy & Co. threw at us in "I Am Unicorn", Blaine's a year behind Kurt at NYADA. This is five years after "Original Song".**_

_**God, my notes are always ridiculously long. I apologize. There's a bunch of stuff at the end too, whoops... ;)**_

_**(I do not own Glee or any of the characters, dialogue, or songs from the show. It's all just for fun!)**_

* * *

><p><strong>BLAINE <strong>

"Hey, Blaine? Where'd you put the tape?" one of Blaine's co-workers asked brightly as she brushed past him in the small space behind the counter.

"I put it in the cabinet above the– yeah, that one–" Blaine waved vaguely as he studied his appearance in a small decorative mirror on the wall.

"You're distracted," the young woman commented as she retrieved a roll of tape and moved to secure an instructional poster to the inside of one of the cabinet doors. "Since when do you make sure your hair looks okay before you leave to go home?"

Blaine gave her a pointed look.

"Oh!" she remembered, "Oh my god. Okay, come here!" She hurried over and turned Blaine by the shoulders so that he was facing her. She scrutinized his appearance.

"He's going to die," she concluded.

"And that's...?" Blaine tried not to smile.

"That's _good_, you idiot!" she smacked his arm. "And wipe that silly grin off your face. He's going to know something's up the instant he comes in the door."

"Can't stop," Blaine admitted, smiling widely.

The young woman rolled her eyes as Blaine reached out to grab his coffee off the counter. "Yeah," she teased, "that's going to help. Adding more caffeine to your already enthusiastic state."

Blaine winked and took a long drink.

"I can't believe you guys have been together for five years," the young woman leaned back against the wall and folded her arms casually.

"Five years tomorrow," Blaine confirmed quietly.

"What I _really_ can't believe is that Kurt hasn't not-so-subtly pushed you into doing this before now!" She shook her head, amused.

"He knows it's coming," Blaine rubbed his neck nervously.

"Yeah, but he thinks it's coming tomorrow after dinner or something cliché like that," she said confidently.

"It's not dramatic enough," Blaine worried. "I should wait and think of something grandiose."

"Kurt has enough grandiose in his life," the young woman chided. "Your idea is perfect."

Blaine didn't answer.

The bell on the door chimed softly, and Blaine felt his stomach constrict nervously. He and his co-worker both turned to see two young children hop through the doorway ahead of their parents.

"No!" one of the children shouted to the other, "the edges of the tiles count as cracks! Don't step on them!"

Blaine and the young woman exchanged a brief smile.

"I've got it," she smiled, "since you're technically off already."

She moved away to help the new customers, and Blaine sighed. He looked at the door again. Kurt was going to come by after class, as he always did on Tuesday afternoons, so they could walk home together. He was late already.

Blaine watched the two children hopping around the otherwise-empty store as their parents ordered their coffee. Involuntarily, an image of Kurt with a faceless child of their own flashed in his mind, and Blaine shook his head as a wave of every positive emotion he could imagine rushed to his head. He felt like he was going to faint.

The bell on the door rang again, and Blaine looked up to see Kurt entering the store, his face slightly flushed from the wind outside. As soon as Blaine saw Kurt's familiar face, he felt an unexpected wave of calm. Kurt wanted to marry him. The question would just be a formality.

"Oh!" Kurt dodged the jumping children as they and their parents passed him on their way out. He laughed as one of the children stared up at him with such intensity that she hopped straight into her father's leg before ducking her tiny head and rushing out the door.

"Hey Kurt," Blaine's co-worker waved at him when the store was empty again.

"Hey!" Kurt returned the greeting. "I'm here to steal Blaine away, as usual."

Blaine stepped around the counter to pull Kurt into a tight hug. He laughed as he felt Kurt's cold lips pressing a kiss on his cheek.

"See you Thursday!" Blaine's co-worker said brightly. Blaine pushed Kurt toward the door and winked at her over his shoulder. She gave him a thumbs-up and was silently jumping up and down as the two men left the store.

Once they were out in the crisp early-spring air, Blaine wrapped an arm around Kurt's waist. Kurt leaned into him as they started the walk home in comfortable silence. Blaine wanted to mention how happy he felt every time they strolled down the sidewalk arm-in-arm, but he needed to keep Kurt in the present so he wouldn't suspect what was about to happen.

"How was class?" Blaine asked instead.

"I swear to god, if I didn't like Rachel so much I would kill her," Kurt whined.

Blaine laughed. "That good, huh?"

Kurt made a noise of confirmation, but Blaine could tell that he wasn't actually upset. He tightened his grip on Kurt's waist and felt his stomach flip with nervousness as Kurt turned his head to kiss Blaine's temple.

"I don't care what happens in the future," Kurt said, keeping his face pressed against Blaine's temple for a moment, trusting Blaine not to let him trip, "I forbid you to quit your job at the coffee shop. You always smell amazing."

Blaine laughed. "I'll keep that in mind," he teased.

Kurt told the story of his mini-confrontation with Rachel as they finished the short walk to their apartment, but Blaine was only half listening. As their building came into view, Kurt continued to chatter happily, and Blaine knew he had no idea what was coming.

* * *

><p><strong>KURT <strong>

"...and I told her," Kurt said as the pair entered their building, "for the millionth time, there is no reason to freak out! Just because I got a post-graduation role before she did, I mean, god. She acts like it's the end of the world."

"And if things were reversed?" Blaine suggested lightly, "You would be completely calm?"

"Point taken," Kurt admitted dramatically. He caught a glimpse of Blaine's answering smile as he started up the stairs toward their apartment.

"Wait," Blaine's voice stopped him after a few steps.

The look on Blaine's face silenced the question on the tip of Kurt's tongue as he turned around. Blaine was still standing at the bottom of the stairs, and the metaphorical butterflies in Kurt's stomach took flight as he studied Blaine's expression.

Blaine didn't say anything for a moment, but he silently stopped Kurt when he began to descend the stairs. Kurt hesitated and reached out to hold the railing. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"This is how I saw you for the first time," Blaine said quietly.

Kurt's heart stuttered in his chest. "That was a good day," he squeaked. His mind flashed back to Dalton Academy, more than five years ago, where everything had changed for both of them.

Blaine stepped forward and reached up to grab Kurt's free hand. He pulled Kurt down the stairs and forward to close the space between them, and Kurt felt so flustered that he wondered briefly if he was actually reliving their first meeting.

"That was the best day of my life," Blaine said softly. Kurt could smell the coffee on Blaine's breath, and he tried to slow his breathing so he could concentrate on what Blaine was saying.

"There is no one else in the world like you, Kurt," Blaine leaned forward, and Kurt closed his eyes as Blaine brushed a soft kiss to his lips, "and I love you with every fiber of my being."

A quiet, hysterical giggle escaped Kurt's lips before he could stop it. He felt Blaine release his hand, and the scent of coffee disappeared. Kurt knew what he was going to see when he opened his eyes, so he kept them closed for a moment and allowed many of the memories that he and Blaine had created together to flash across the back of his eyelids.

With a deep sigh, Kurt opened his eyes. As he expected, Blaine was on one knee in front of him. He was holding a small light blue box, tied with a white ribbon.

Kurt bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, unable to contain his excitement, but the answering smile on Blaine's face made his knees feel unsteady and he had to stand still again.

"Kurt Hummel," Blaine said confidently, untying the box's ribbon, "will you marry me?"

Blaine removed the lid from the box, and Kurt leaned over slightly to look at the ring inside.

Kurt didn't realize that his knees had failed him until he was suddenly at eye-level with Blaine, who was still kneeling in front of him. Kurt reached out to clutch the little box over Blaine's hands, unable to see clearly through his tears.

"My mom's engagement ring!" he sobbed, vaguely aware of some applause from another couple from their building who had witnessed the proposal.

"I'm not suggesting that you wear it," Blaine reached out to wipe the tears from Kurt's cheeks, and Kurt blinked rapidly so he could focus on Blaine's face, "Unless you want to, of course! I just thought this would be a good time to make it officially yours."

Kurt's curiosity overrode his emotions for a moment. "What?" he sniffed.

Blaine laughed softly. "I would like to make it clear that I did _not_ ask your father for _permission_ to marry you... but I did ask him how he would feel about it."

Kurt's mouth dropped open before he remembered how to speak. "What did he say?" he gasped.

"I think his exact words were 'I've been waiting for you to ask me about this since the first time Kurt came home from Dalton'... or something," Blaine winked. He shifted so that he was also sitting on his knees instead of kneeling on one knee. Kurt took the small diamond ring out of the box and examined it as Blaine continued.

"He turned and left the room immediately after that one sentence," Blaine recalled, "and I wasn't sure what to do. So I just sat there."

Kurt laughed at the mental image of Blaine, all alone and probably incredibly nervous, sitting on his father's couch. He wondered where he had been when this was happening. He looked up at Blaine, who was wiping tears from his eyes. "When was this?"

Blaine's eyes twinkled. "Christmas. The afternoon when you and Carole went post-holiday clothes shopping."

"That was almost three months ago!" Kurt gasped, delighted. He realized as he spoke the words that it was a ridiculous thing to say... they hadn't been back to Ohio since December, so of course it had been that long ago. The thought of Blaine planning to propose for so long made Kurt feel warm inside.

Blaine ducked his head shyly. "I had to work up to it."

Kurt leaned forward playfully. "Courage?" he teased.

Blaine reached out to capture Kurt's face in his hands and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Wait," Kurt pulled away after a moment, "but why did my dad leave you there? He didn't pretend he was going to shoot you, did he?"

Blaine laughed. "No," he reassured as he absentmindedly put the white ribbon inside the little blue box and replaced the lid, "he went to get the ring."

Kurt shifted to sit on the floor. Blaine mirrored him, and for a moment Kurt felt a rush of amusement that they were sitting on the floor at the bottom of the stairs.

"He told me that it belonged to you already, but that you'd probably like it if I gave it to you," Blaine finished the story of his conversation with Burt. "So..." he shrugged happily.

Kurt studied the ring again. It was simple. Yellow gold with a small solitaire diamond. He remembered playing with it on his mother's hand as a child. He slipped the ring onto the end of his smallest finger, marveling at how slim his mother's fingers had been. He contemplated for a moment all the ways he could wear it that didn't involve getting it re-sized and wearing it on his finger.

Blaine stood up and offered a hand to help Kurt up. Once Kurt was standing, Blaine didn't let go of his hand. Instead, Blaine dropped back down to one knee. He reached into his pocket and produced a silver wedding band.

"This is what was in the box originally," he winked.

Kurt couldn't remember how to speak as he gaped at the light blue box on the ground by Blaine's knee. He hadn't noticed before – it had been covered by the white ribbon and he had been mentally preoccupied – but there were words on the top of the small box. _Tiffany & Co_.

Blaine shook his head mischievously at Kurt's shocked expression. "Oh, come on, Kurt. You didn't think I was going to buy you a generic ring, did you?"

"I need to sit down again," Kurt managed.

"Not until you give me an answer," Blaine teased, flipping Kurt's hand over to drop the Tiffany & Co. ring into his palm. "It's a wedding band. Platinum. I thought, you know, if you like it... but if you don't, that's okay! I just..." he shook his head at his own lack of coherency and looked up at Kurt. He took a deep breath.

"I want _you_, Kurt," Blaine said, his voice thick with emotion. "You can decide if you like this ring or if you hate it. You can decide what ring I should wear. You can plan the entire wedding. You can decide where we should live and what we should eat for dinner every night. I just want to be a team. _Officially_."

"I've wanted to marry you since the moment we met," Kurt breathed. The ring felt solid and perfect in his palm, but he couldn't bring himself to look closely at it. All he wanted was to look at the smile on Blaine's face.

"So...?" Blaine trailed off suggestively, and Kurt could tell that Blaine was enjoying watching him process this whole experience.

Kurt slipped the wedding ring onto his smallest finger with his mother's engagement ring and pulled Blaine up from his kneeling position. He reached out and grabbed Blaine's jaw line in both of his hands. "Yes," he said breathlessly. "Yes, I will marry you."

He cut off Blaine's response with a desperately happy kiss. Blaine's lips tasted salty from his tears, and Kurt could feel the other man smiling broadly.

"Wait, wait," Blaine pulled away suddenly.

"No," Kurt said, grabbing the front of Blaine's shirt to pull him in for another kiss. He held on gently so Blaine could insist, but he didn't.

In a moment of lucidity, Kurt realized that they couldn't stay at the bottom of the stairs. He stepped back and placed a finger over Blaine's lips for a moment to keep him from saying anything.

"You have until we get to our apartment to say whatever you want," Kurt informed him. He reached down, scooped the little blue box up from the floor, and placed both his mother's engagement ring and the wedding band inside. With a huge smile, he reached out and grabbed Blaine's tie to pull him up the stairs. Blaine laughed softly the entire way, but he didn't say anything.

When they arrived at their door, Kurt stuck the key in the lock and turned around to look at Blaine.

"Any last words?" he smirked.

"I love you," Blaine said sweetly.

Kurt giggled and turned to finish unlocking the door. Blaine pressed himself against Kurt's back, wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist, and kissed the side of his neck until Kurt got the door unlocked and dragged Blaine into their apartment.

* * *

><p><strong>BLAINE <strong>

Blaine woke the next morning to the smell of coffee and something baking that he couldn't quite identify. With a happy sigh, he rolled over and reached out for Kurt, but the rational part of his rapidly-awakening mind knew that the other man was no longer in bed.

When his hand touched nothing but cool sheets, Blaine opened his eyes. His gaze fell on the little blue box containing Kurt's rings sitting on the dresser, and Blaine felt a surge of energy. He jumped out of bed and hastily put on some pants before he hurried into the apartment's tiny kitchen.

Kurt was absentmindedly twirling a spatula, leaning against the window frame with his back to the room.

"Boo," Blaine teased quietly.

"Good morning," Kurt smiled, turning around to look at Blaine.

Blaine was momentarily distracted by the state of the kitchen. It was spotless. The table had been set for the two of them, and there was a large bowl of muffins and multiple smaller bowls of various fruits in the center. And the coffee was his favorite; a specialty blend from the shop where he worked.

"Kurt!" he gasped, "what is this?"

Kurt rolled his eyes in a spectacular fashion. "_This_," he said, "is our anniversary breakfast."

Blaine felt a surge of warmth in his chest. He stepped over to stand directly in front of Kurt and reached out to brush a small strand of hair that had fallen across Kurt's forehead back into place.

Kurt's eyes sparkled as he shook his head. "Don't say it."

"But–" Blaine protested.

Kurt kissed him fervently, cutting off his argument. For a moment Blaine allowed Kurt to distract him, but when the other man released him, Blaine nuzzled his face against Kurt's ear.

"You move me, Kurt," he whispered.

Kurt burst into laughter, and Blaine laughed with him.

"You are so proud of yourself for that, aren't you?" Kurt managed when he got control of his breathing.

Blaine clutched a hand to his chest, pretending to be hurt. "It's _true_, Kurt!" he whimpered.

Kurt ruffled Blaine's already messy hair. "And I look forward to hearing you tell me so on this day every year for the rest of our lives," he announced sincerely.

"We're getting married," Blaine said brightly.

Kurt turned his back for a moment to make sure the oven was off. "Want to go down to the courthouse and do it today?" he suggested.

Blaine, who had turned to walk back to his chair at the table, felt as if his heart had suddenly thudded to a complete halt.

"Oh god," Kurt said quickly, turning around to look at Blaine. "I'm _kidding_. No, don't look at me like that!"

Blaine moved back across the room to back Kurt against the counter. "That," he said darkly, "was not nice."

Kurt put his palms on Blaine's bare chest to hold him back slightly. "Sorry," he mouthed silently.

Blaine tried to look stern for another moment, but he knew that the happiness he was feeling was probably shining in his eyes. "Can we at least go find me a wedding band today?" he asked innocently.

"Breakfast first," Kurt ordered, shoving Blaine back gently.

Blaine fell into his chair at the small table. He felt like he was going to explode with excitement, but he knew that Kurt had worked hard on breakfast.

As they ate, they chatted about how they were going to tell their parents about their official engagement.

"We should video chat with my dad and Carole," Kurt said enthusiastically.

"They'll know something's up when we suggest a video chat," Blaine said thoughtfully. "We usually just call or email."

Kurt nodded. "True. And they'll probably know exactly what we're going to say. It's not like we're going to spring a surprise pregnancy on them or anything."

Blaine sucked a mouthful of coffee into his lungs, and he and Kurt spent the next few moments trying to decide if Blaine was going to be able to breathe properly again without medical intervention.

"Okay?" Kurt asked nervously when Blaine finally managed to take a few small breaths. Blaine couldn't speak, but he nodded as he realized that he wasn't actually going to suffocate.

Kurt looked simultaneously pleased with himself for causing such a strong reaction and worried for Blaine's health as he took a small sip of his own drink. They ate in silence for a few minutes until Blaine was able to speak again.

"I guess we should video chat with my parents too," Blaine sighed

"Maybe they'll be excited," Kurt said hopefully.

"Maybe," Blaine said skeptically. "At the very least, I think they've realized that I'm not having some kind of adolescent phase. So hopefully they won't be _too_ shocked. I can just call them if you want. I can't promise they won't say something –"

Kurt held up a hand and shook his head. Blaine rubbed his face to release some of his anxiety.

"I just wish they loved you as much as your dad and Carole love me," Blaine admitted quietly.

Kurt reached across the table to grasp one of Blaine's hands. "We're going to do it together," he said softly. "So what if they're tortured about your sexuality? They still love _you_. That's why they haven't pressed the issue. And that's enough for me."

"I adore you," Blaine said, wishing that his voice would cooperate enough to tell Kurt all of the things that he wanted to say. He reached out with his free hand to grab his coffee cup and finished the drink in one long swish.

"Well, I hope so," Kurt said lightly, "since we're about to go find you a wedding band."

All the angst vanished from Blaine's mind as he remembered their plans for the day. "You like yours?" he asked. "Do_ not _lie."

"I would never lie about the only thing I will wear every day for the rest of my life," Kurt said solemnly. "It's perfect."

Blaine felt the overwhelming excitement returning. "Yeah?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kurt confirmed.

Blaine pumped his fist victoriously, and they both laughed.

"But hey," Blaine said seriously as they started to clean up, "don't feel pressured about this whole thing, okay?"

Kurt furrowed his brow, confused.

"We're young," Blaine said. "We're still in school. And you have so many dreams. _We_," he corrected as Kurt glared at him, "have so many dreams. I know you want every detail of the wedding to be perfect, and it's going to take planning, and money that we don't have. And..."

Blaine fell silent, realizing that he was rambling. He knew his anxiety was a result of the talk about his parents and a little too much adrenaline after his coughing fit, but he knew he would regret not saying something if Kurt ended up feeling pressured and resentful later.

Kurt walked over and grabbed Blaine by his upper arms.

"Remember when we met?" Kurt asked. Blaine nodded, not sure if it was an actual question, and Kurt continued. "I didn't think I would ever find someone who would understand me, much less allow me to love and to feel loved the way I do now. _You_ are my dream, Blaine," Kurt said firmly. "Well, you're not my _only_ dream – let's not get carried away – but when you're around I feel like everything is possible. Nothing about you, or about _us_, makes me feel even a tiny bit pressured."

A sudden lump in Blaine's throat restricted his ability to speak, so he just nodded again.

Kurt released Blaine's arms and attempted to straighten Blaine's unruly hair for a moment before giving up. "Enough with the 'making sure'. _I'm sure_," Kurt said confidently. Blaine nodded for a third time, and Kurt looked at him for a moment.

"Now get a shower," Kurt waved an arm in the direction of the bathroom with a small smile, "because I refuse to be seen with you in the outside world when you look like this."

* * *

><p><strong>KURT <strong>

"... but does this mean we can't get married for even longer?" Blaine whined halfheartedly as they stepped out onto Fifth Avenue.

"No," Kurt teased, reaching out to hold Blaine's hand as they walked, "it just means we're going to be really thin at the wedding."

"Kurt!" Blaine shoved him with his shoulder, "We didn't have to go back there for my ring, you know."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Blaine, just because you'd be _okay_ with a standard wedding ring doesn't mean you should have to settle for one. And it's not really about the money anyway," he turned to look at Blaine briefly to make sure the other man was really listening, "It's about the way you feel when you look at it. And how you feel when it's on your hand."

"I love it," Blaine admitted.

Kurt released Blaine's hand just long enough to step closer and drape his arm around Blaine's neck. "And whenever you look at it, you'll think of me," he said lightly, "which is kind of the point."

Blaine nodded. "Okay," he said, "but I'm going to ask for another shift at the coffee shop to make up the ridiculous amount of money we just spent."

Kurt didn't dignify the remark with a response, but he felt a swell of contentment as he thought about the fact that they were chatting so calmly about finances. They were really a family. A family of two.

"You know," Blaine said after they walked in silence for a moment, "the past five years have been the best."

Kurt's chest tightened as a wave of nostalgia washed through him. He turned his head to nuzzle his nose on Blaine's ear, hoping that it would express all of the emotion that he was feeling.

They continued in silence again, and Kurt wondered if Blaine was thinking about their time at Dalton. Because all Kurt could think about was the day, exactly five years ago, when Blaine had finally confessed that they were perfect for each other.

As they arrived at campus, where Blaine had to spend the next few hours rehearsing before they could spend the rest of the day celebrating their anniversary, Blaine released his hold on Kurt's waist.

"Hey Kurt?" he said.

"Mmm?" Kurt acknowledged.

"We're getting married," Blaine said triumphantly.

Kurt laughed. "You are so eager," he said, looking at Blaine's joyful expression, "and I love you."

Blaine pretended to faint, but caught himself on the door to the building and pushed the door open instead of falling to the ground.

They made their way to the school's grand auditorium, and Kurt walked with Blaine to where Rachel was chatting excitedly with another member of the cast.

* * *

><p><strong>BLAINE <strong>

Rachel saw them out of the corner of her eye, and she quickly cut off her cast mate. "I'm sorry," she said ceremoniously, "please excuse me."

Without waiting for a response, she twirled around and flung her arms around Kurt.

Blaine tried unsuccessfully to hide a laugh as Kurt floundered. But the roles were quickly reversed when Rachel released Kurt and threw herself at Blaine in the same manner.

"You are exceptionally cheerful today," Kurt noted as he straightened his shirt.

"Kurt," Rachel said, releasing Blaine and turning to Kurt, "you have been talking about this day nonstop since the start of the year. So do not try to pretend that I don't know it's your anniversary!"

Kurt shrugged and attempted to look nonchalant, but the corners of his mouth twitched and gave him away. He glanced at Blaine, silently asking permission to announce their big news. Blaine tried to nod discreetly at him, but Rachel noticed.

"What is going on here?" she demanded.

"Oh, nothing," Kurt said evenly, "just got engaged last night." Blaine felt his heart flutter at the pride in Kurt's voice.

Rachel squealed so loudly that everyone else in the room fell silent and turned to look at them. Her hands flew up to clasp over her mouth as if the noise had startled her.

Blaine and Kurt's laughter sounded inappropriately loud in the suddenly-silent room. Blaine leaned over and kissed Rachel's cheek, thanking her silently for her excitement, and Kurt stepped forward.

"Go away," he shooed Blaine, "lady time."

Blaine bowed out as instructed. As he turned to walk away, he saw Rachel and Kurt grab each other's forearms and lean together excitedly.

"Hey man," one of his cast mates clasped him on the arm, shifting his attention to the task at hand, "congratulations!"

"Thanks," Blaine said, feeling a happy blush spread across his face.

"Let's go ahead and rehearse your stuff first," the director suddenly appeared by his side. "And maybe you can get out of here a little early."

* * *

><p><strong>KURT <strong>

After Kurt spilled every detail of Blaine's proposal to Rachel, she joined the rehearsal and Kurt sat down on the floor to work on the outline for the final French essay of his college life.

When he heard the music change into a new song – one that featured Blaine at the beginning – he twirled his pencil and leaned his head back on the wall, closing his eyes to listen.

"Kurt, hey. Kurt?" Suddenly Blaine was kneeling beside him, calling his name, and Kurt jerked awake. His hands flew to the back of his head as he cracked it on the wall in his scramble to regain consciousness. He heard Blaine release a breath of sympathetic air.

"Ouch," Kurt mumbled, blushing furiously and rushing to gather his things and stand up.

Blaine helped him up and reached out to gently brush his hand through Kurt's hair on the back of his head.

"Sorry," Blaine said gently.

Kurt just waved his arm dismissively, grateful that there were only a few other people in the room who had witnessed the incident. He took a deep breath.

"Not enough sleep last night?" Blaine's voice was suddenly husky in his ear.

"You tell me," Kurt quipped, turning his head so that his words ghosted across Blaine's lips. Blaine's eyes fluttered closed, and Kurt bit his lip to keep from laughing as he slipped away.

Blaine didn't say anything. But, when Kurt finished gathering his things and turned back to look at him, there was fire in his eyes. Kurt had to look away.

They didn't speak a word or make eye contact during the journey back to their apartment. Kurt felt like his heart was going to pound out of his chest as he unlocked their door and stepped inside. He didn't look at Blaine as he removed his jacket and moved into the apartment. He could feel Blaine following him, and a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth as he wandered to the window in their kitchen and pretended to examine the world outside.

He felt tense all over as the seconds ticked by and he couldn't hear anything from Blaine in the room behind him.

Finally, he couldn't stand the anticipation any longer, and he turned his head.

Blaine was sitting on the edge of the table, his legs crossed at the knee, casually leaning back on his hands.

They stared at each other for a moment, and Kurt bit the inside of his cheek, not wanting to be the first one to give in.

Blaine tilted his head slightly, the fire in his eyes so intense that Kurt felt physically weak, and winked at him.

Kurt closed the distance between them in three long strides and grabbed the front of Blaine's shirt. He pulled the other man off the table and shoved him forcefully against the counter, but resisted initiating further contact until Blaine tangled his hands into Kurt's hair to kiss him roughly.

"I win," Kurt whispered victoriously as he had to pull away to catch his breath.

Blaine let out an almost inaudible noise of desperation, and Kurt only had an instant to feel pleased with himself before Blaine's hands were attempting to simultaneously undress him and drag him down the small hallway to their bedroom.

* * *

><p><strong>BLAINE <strong>

"Kurt? This is ridiculous," Blaine groaned, leaning against the bathroom door. "We're going to be late!"

"Oh please," Kurt's voice floated through the door, "it's dinner reservations, not a matter of national security."

Blaine couldn't stop the smile that twitched at the side of his lips. He walked into the kitchen, settled into a chair at the table to wait, and let his mind wander back to the halls of Dalton Academy. He shook his head at the anxiety he still felt when he remembered the walk down the hallway to Kurt, bent over Pavarotti's small casket in one of Dalton's regal study rooms. He couldn't remember ever feeling so nervous, before or in the five years since. Blaine closed his eyes, letting the memory play in his mind.

He opened his eyes as he heard the bathroom door open, and Kurt came striding into the room. Blaine's heart fluttered as he looked at Kurt, the anxiety of his memories still lingering in his chest.

Kurt noticed, and he self-consciously straightened his already perfectly-aligned scarf. Blaine jumped up and moved to capture a quick kiss before grabbing his wallet off the table by the door. He caught sight of a yellow pin on Kurt's shirt, and he tried to turn to face the door before Kurt saw his amusement.

"I see that face," Kurt muttered sourly. "It's not funny."

Blaine couldn't answer. He just chewed on his lip as he held the door open for Kurt to brush past him into the hallway.

By the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, Kurt had apparently forgiven him. He reached out to hold Blaine's hand.

"You look very handsome," Blaine offered tentatively, making sure that Kurt's mood was jovial.

"I know," Kurt responded seriously, but he turned to make a show of rolling his eyes so Blaine knew he was joking. As his gaze fell on Blaine, Kurt pretended to notice Blaine's attire for the first time. "You look fabulous," Kurt noted, and Blaine was surprised to feel a blush spread across his face at the compliment.

"This is my favorite thing ever, you know," Blaine admitted quietly, squeezing Kurt's hand, "Just walking down the street with you."

"Me too," Kurt acknowledged, nudging Blaine's shoulder a little harder than necessary and throwing Blaine slightly off-balance. Blaine felt as if he would never be able to stop smiling again.

As they approached the restaurant where Kurt had made reservations, Blaine was surprised to feel Kurt's hand tugging him around a corner.

"Kurt, it's right there," he laughed, pointing down the block as it disappeared from view.

Kurt was silent, and Blaine's heart leapt into his throat.

"Kurt!" he whined happily, hanging on Kurt's arm, "_Kurt!_"

They reached the subway station entrance, and Kurt turned to smirk at Blaine.

"I'm blindfolding you now," he said simply.

"_What?_" Blaine gasped. Blaine would often come home to a spotless house, his favorite food cooking in the oven, or some other thoughtful surprise from Kurt. And Kurt and their friends at NYADA had thrown Blaine a surprise birthday party the first year he had been in New York. But, in their five years together, Kurt had never done anything like this.

"I love surprises," Blaine choked out.

"I had no idea," Kurt said offhandedly, and he looked incredibly pleased with himself as he pulled one of Blaine's old Dalton ties out of his bag to cover Blaine's eyes.

"You have to hold _still_, Blaine," Kurt chided as he tried to secure the tie around Blaine's head. Blaine wrung his hands and tried to stop squirming with excitement.

"Where are we going?" Blaine begged as he felt Kurt finish the task at hand and move back around to stand in front of him.

Instead of an answer, he felt Kurt press a gentle kiss to his forehead and grab one of his hands again.

Blaine heard the sound of a car pulling up beside them, and he could feel his excitement growing more and more unbearable with every second.

"Kurt! We're taking a taxi? We _never_ take taxis!" he stated the obvious. He felt Kurt's hand squeeze his, and he allowed Kurt to help him into the taxi so he wouldn't hit his head.

Kurt must have given written directions to the driver, because suddenly the car was moving. Blaine clenched his jaw to keep from asking the string of questions that was bouncing around in his head. He could feel Kurt's thumb tracing a circle in the back of his hand, and he guessed that Kurt was probably watching him.

"Say something," Blaine finally pleaded, unable to stand the silence.

"It's more fun to watch you squirm," Kurt commented lightly. Blaine fidgeted dramatically, imagining Kurt's smile in response.

After what Blaine thought might have been an eternity, they arrived at their destination. Kurt helped him out of the taxi, and Blaine strained to hear some clue that would give away their location. They were definitely still in the city.

"One guess where we are," Kurt suddenly breathed in his ear, returning to grab his hand after paying the driver. Blaine took a deep breath and stood as still as possible, straining to hear everything.

"I don't know," he admitted.

"That's because we're still not there yet," Kurt sounded so proud of himself that Blaine wanted to collapse on the sidewalk.

They entered a nearby building and eventually made their way into an elevator. Blaine racked his brain, trying to imagine if they were going to see someone or if this was some kind of surprise party or performance.

"You okay?" Kurt asked quietly.

Blaine nodded enthusiastically.

"You're shaking," Kurt commented, squeezing Blaine's hand.

"Excited," Blaine clarified.

The elevator stopped, and Kurt led Blaine out. To Blaine's surprise, suddenly they were outside again.

Blaine's chest felt tight as he realized where they were. He squeezed Kurt's hand tightly as he thought of how long ago he had mentioned this place to Kurt. It had only been in passing, the day he had moved to New York. When he had been new to the city and eager to dive head first into everything that screamed 'New York' to a boy from the Midwest.

"Keep your eyes closed," Kurt whispered in his ear, and he felt the blindfold fall from his face. He could feel Kurt fixing his hair where the tie had temporarily flattened it.

He felt Kurt's hands clasp down on his hips from behind, and he allowed himself to be pushed forward slightly.

"Do you know where we are?" Kurt asked in his ear. Blaine nodded.

"Open your eyes," Kurt said quietly, and Blaine opened his eyes to the sight of the lights of Manhattan twinkling below them.

Kurt leaned over slightly to rest his chin on Blaine's shoulder.

"Happy anniversary," Kurt breathed against his neck, wrapping his arms around Blaine's waist.

Blaine twisted around in Kurt's arms so that they were facing each other, and Kurt smiled and slowly spun them around so that Blaine could see the city over Kurt's shoulders.

"Let me guess," Blaine teased, "you thought this would be the perfect place for a proposal?"

Kurt shrugged. "Just in case you hadn't found an opportunity."

Blaine laughed and wrapped his arms around Kurt's neck to pull him into a tight hug.

"I love you," he heard Kurt mumble into his ear. Blaine stared out at the twinkling city lights, thinking about all the things that had happened to bring them to this day.

He turned his head and burrowed his face into Kurt's neck. They stayed that way for a long moment until Blaine finally broke the embrace.

"I love you too," Blaine said earnestly, straightening Kurt's scarf for him. "I love you so much. Thank you for this."

"Hey Blaine?" Kurt said, doing his best impression of Blaine's voice.

Blaine smiled broadly, knowing what Kurt was going to say. "Yes, Kurt?" he humored the other man.

"We're getting married," Kurt announced, echoing Blaine's sentiment from earlier in the day.

Blaine felt light with happiness as Kurt brushed past him on his way to the door that would take them back to the elevator. As Blaine watched him pass, he wondered what the future would bring for the two of them. They were preparing to spend the summer apart. Kurt was going to be touring with a traveling production after his graduation from NYADA, and Blaine was staying in New York to work full-time at the coffee shop and spend his free time going on auditions.

They had spent time apart before. Blaine smiled at Kurt's retreating figure as he remembered all of the video chats they had done in the year after Kurt had graduated from high school and moved to New York. It had been desperately hard at first, but over time it had become one of Blaine's most cherished memories... rushing home after school to halfheartedly work on his homework until his computer chimed to let him know that Kurt had logged on. Blaine had not yet admitted it to Kurt, but he was looking forward to that feeling of anticipation again over the summer.

As he followed Kurt into the elevator and reached out to hold Kurt's hand, Blaine knew that they would make it work. They would make anything work.

"What're you thinking about?" Kurt asked, studying Blaine's face.

"Us," Blaine grinned at him, pleased when Kurt preened happily at his answer.

The elevator doors whooshed open, and Kurt practically skipped out, pulling Blaine with him.

"Dinner?" Kurt suggested, and Blaine guessed that he had probably made reservations nearby.

"Lead the way," Blaine said, releasing Kurt's hand to slide his arm around Kurt's waist as they set off into the city.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(I know the end is a bit abrupt, but the way I imagine it is as a series of scenes on the show... so I imagine the final shot, so to speak, is them walking away from the camera into the crowded streets of nighttime Manhattan, all adorable and couple-y. If I could draw, I'd draw it for you. But, since I have as much artistic talent as a rock, you'll just have to imagine it!)<br>**_

_**Did you make it through without overdosing on the sweetness? I almost didn't. I thought about writing in a bit of an argument somewhere just to make it a bit more realistic or something, but eh. It's their anniversary! Let's just pretend it's a fairy tale, okay? Good.  
><strong>_

_**Also, I KNOW, OKAY? But I think sometimes the details are best left to your imaginations. My general goal is to keep things at the same level as what we might see on the show... if you're looking for something more steamy, I don't think you have to look very, ahem, hard in the world of Klaine fanfiction to find what you're looking for. ;)**_

_**The yellow pin on Kurt's outfit... his little homage to Pavarotti, of course! I like to think that, as theatrical as Kurt is, he would always make a bit of a show of mourning the little guy every year.**_

_**The surprise from Kurt at the end was inspired by the Glee Live skit (in London, I believe?) when Kurt had Blaine close his eyes and Blaine asked if the surprise was everything he had ever wanted before asking if it was a puppy. Eager!Blaine is the cutest thing ever.  
><strong>_

_**If you ever make it to New York City, you have to go up to the Top of the Rock observation deck (which is where I imagine Kurt took Blaine, but if you'd rather they could also be at the top of the Empire State Building). It is such a spectacular view of the city. It's fun to go up the Empire State Building too, but I think it's MORE fun to do Top of the Rock because you get to SEE the Empire State Building and take photos of it and etc. It's a spectacular view.**_

_**So, who has ideas about what parts Kurt and Blaine are playing in this story? I was going to put in an actual song for Blaine to be part of during his rehearsal (therefore giving it away), but I thought it worked better if you get to guess/decide. :)**_

_**Thank you so much for reading - I love you all! Enjoy tomorrow's episode of Glee! Try not to hurt yourselves flailing, okay? ;) Also, please no spoilers for episode 5 in the comments (unless you're commenting after the episode has aired tomorrow night!) I don't want anyone getting inadvertently spoiled at the last minute!  
><strong>_

_**And finally (I swear, I'm done)... if you're on Tumblr, come say hi! I'm the same username over there. :) **_


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